The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-29
0enera1 Onnuentin&1.
NEW YORK, 997.
PRELIMINARY SERVICE.

TUESDAY EVE, Oct IS.
The opening service of the General
Convention for 1887, was held in the
Universalist church on West Eleventh
street, New York City, tRev. E. G.
Bolles, pastor), on Tuesday evening,
Oct. IS. The service was appointed
for o'clock, and for half an hour pre-
viously, the visitors and delegates were
assembling, and many Convention greet
ings were exchanged. The church pre-
sented very bright and cheerful ap-
pearance. The choir and oTganist were
in their places, and during the gather
ing of the congregation, the organ gave
forth welcoming strains. One special
feature of the occasion was the pres
ence in the congregation Of three ex-
pastors of the old Bleecker Street
Church, now in their new quarters on
West Eleventh street-Rev. Messrs.
Sweetser, Gardner and Illman. The
congregation was large for an open
ing meeting, and quite filled the body
of the church.
The services began by selection
from the regular quartet choir. The
responsive reading from the "Carmina
Alternaan by the minister and choir
followed, Rev. J. N. Emery, Of Mass
achusetts, conducting the service, and
also reading the lesson and offering
prayer. A hymn sung by choir and
congregation followed. Rev. S. A.
Gardner, of Milford, Mass, was the
preacher His text was the seventeenth
verse of the xix Psalm Let the beauty
of the Lord our God be upon u.s."
There is no better way, said the preach
er, to discover the beauty of the Lord,
than to discover the beauty of truth.
If we ever fail to see the beauty of the
Lord, it is because there is mixture
of error in our opinions. This destroys
what would be otherwise fascinating,
and which would charm every beholder.
Let us search out the things that are
true let us discover the beauty of
faith and Christian principle, by dis
covering the truth that they represent.
If we do not recognize the truth we
shall fail to see their true beauty.
Much depends on the standpoint we
occupy. We must ascend the mount of
spiritual vision. We can not expect to
see truth by looking out of the base-'
ment OF cellar windows. We must
make our spiritual ascent. Who so has
not risen cannot see the beauty of Cod
cannot see God in his works. The
speaker here gave fine illustration of
his thought. Looking at the glorious
cathedral windows of the old world on
the outside, their beauty cannot be
seen. But go inside. What change!
Then the vision is entranced with a
sense of beauty. Some people cannot
see the beauty Of the church, nor the
true glory of the Christian life. 1t is
because they are on the outside. If we
get into the church, we will be the bet
ter prepared to recognize its value if
we get its spirit into our hearts, we
shall see that it is beautiful; that it
has its own special appeal to make to us.
We must seek to place Gods truth
in the light There are clouds and
shadows around us. These clouds and
shadows come and go. We need to
have the divine light to scatter our
darkness. Wait. Have patience. If
you are willing to wait, already the
hardest task has been accomplished
The cloud has even then become trans
parent; the beauty of the Lord our God
has begun to shine upon us.
The human soul is the very source Of
beauty. To be seen Alright it must be
alive and active. The Malayan butter
fly is only beautiful when on the wing
When it alghts it takes its hue from
the objects around 1.-THE dry leaves
and stems. So the soul is only truly
alive when doing its very best. The
mission Of Christ was to give life and
more abundant life to the world, Heit
is who sends the electric shock through
souls who attracts all the divine ele-
ments aud builds up the true Christian.
Anything but a dead soul. Anything
but dead Christian.
The speaker applied these principles
to faith, hope and charity. What is
more beautiful than faith in God!